Combined shuttle box changing mechanism and lay motion



April 14, 1964 c. P. B'ERGSTROM ETAL 3,128,796

COMBINED SHUTTLE BOX CHANGING MECHANISM AND LAY MOTION Filed Dec. 2'7, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1%" mlml' I m l M MI] MUM" INVENTORS CARLE BERGSTROM RAYMOND F. DION v QQWT AT TORNEY April 14, 1964 c. P. BERGSTROM ETAL 3,128,796

COMBINED SHUTTLE BOX CHANGING MECHANISM AND LAY MOTION Filed Dec. 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE NTORS CARL F. BERGSTROM RAYMOND F DION ATTORNEY April 14, 1964 c. P; BERGSTROM ETAL 3,128,796

COMBINED SHUTTLE BOX CHANGING MECHANISM AND LAY MOTION Filed Dec. 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 "lu m 6 lump! llmfll HIM I I I I n I FIGII 5 TC 0y Y F BKC ST A INVENTORS CARL P. BERGSTROM RAYMOND F DION GM M ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,128,796 Patented Apr. 14, 1964 3,128,796 COMBINED SHUTTLE BQX CHANGING MECHANISM AND LAY MOTION Carl P. Bergstrom, Millbury, and Raymond F. Dion, Worcester, Mass, assignors to Crompton & Knowles Corporation, Worcester, Mass., a corporaticn of Massachusetts Filed Dec. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 247,581 2 Claims. (Cl. 139171) This invention in general relates to shuttle looms and more particularly relates to improvements thereto whereby means are provided to permit increased weaving speeds of the loom without a proportional increase in shuttle velocity.

A common type of loom that has gone into extensive use, as exemplified by Patent 2,304,162, employs a vertically reciprocating multi-cell shuttle box operable by a shuttle box changing mechanism to place one or another of the cells to so-called raceplate level for picking of a shuttle to lay a filling thread across the loom between upper and lower sets of warp threads which periodically cross to form well-known warp sheds in the weaving process, the picked shuttle traveling through a shed on the lower set of warp threads and along the raceplate which forms part of a crank driven backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay, well-known to the art, to which the shuttle box is attached for back and forth reciprocation with the lay during loom operation.

The shuttle box changing mechanism in this type of loom includes a drive gear for engagement with a pair of pattern selectable mutilated pinion gears, each of which is individually connected by an eccentric or crank pivot to the lower end of an upright connector lever, the upper end of each lever being respectively pivoted to a corresponding so-called drop box lever operatively connected to the shuttle box to effect raising or lowering thereof with respect to the raceplate to place one or another of the shuttles in shuttle picking position depending upon which mutilated gear is selected by the pattern to mesh with and be rotated by the drive gear. The arrangement of the mutilated gears in this type of loom has long been standardized to be disposed above and angularly about the axis of the drive gear such that the upright connector levers to the drop box levers have always been made comparatively short since the relative distance between the drop box levers and the drive gear also has been somewhat standardized. The disadvantage of this type of arrangement is that the motion generated by the eccentric pivots, the short upright connecting levers, and the drop box levers produces considerable second harmonic distortion, particularly because of the short upright connecting levers, which causes unwanted and excessive oscillation or vibration of the shuttle box when the latter is being vertically shifted during loom operation, this vibration tending to restrict an increase in loom speeds. I

Also, in this type of loom the drive gear is mounted on a so-called bottom shaft also standardized as to location and having a gear meshing with another gear on a top or crankshaft which in turn is connected by a pair of rigid crank connectors to the lay to effect back and forth reciprocation thereof during loom operation, the lay, in its reciprocation, passing through what is commonly known as front, top, back and bottom center positions and thence to front center position after which the cycle is repeated. The rigid crank connectors are common in the art but have the disadvantage that when the loom is increased in speed by increasing the speed of the bottom shaft, the reciprocation of the lay is proportionally increased which necessitates an increase in shuttle velocity to enable the shuttle to pass through the warp shed before the warp threads thereof cross. But this increased shuttle velocity adds to the problem and difliculty in properly stopping and boxing the shuttle after its flight across the loom, one of the problems, for example, being the prevention of shuttle rebound out of its cell which, upon such occurrence, results in a so-called smash, necessitating stoppage of the loom for reparation and loss in production.

It is therefore an important object of the invention to eliminate or at least to greatly minimize the above discussed disadvantages by providing the loom with an inverted shuttle box changing mechanism in combination with articulated crank connectors ,the combination thereof permitting increased weaving speeds without an attendant increase in shuttle box vibration and without proportional increase in shuttle velocity by allotting more time for flight of a shuttle across the loom.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the shuttle box changing mechanism with mutilated gears each so disposed with respect to the drive gear as to be below the axis of the latter and bottom shaft and equally and angularly displaced on opposite sides of a vertical plane passing through the axis, the thus arranged mutilated gears enabling the use of comparatively long upright connector levers to be connected thereto and to their corresponding drop box levers without destroying the standardized location thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to make each crank connector in two parts, the outer ends of which are connected respectively to the lay crank and the lay and the inner ends being articulated to a pivotal member to form a locking toggle such taht, during lay reciprocation, each crank connector is rigid and the two parts in coextensive locked relationship when the lay is at front center position and in opposite relationship in non-coextensive unlocked relationship when the lay is in any position other than front center with the result that the lay is retarded to provide more time for shuttle flight across the loom.

A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable control means forming part of the toggle between each crank connector and a fixed part of the loom to unlock and lock the toggle and to induce retardation of the lay during shuttle flight and to eifect an increase in the speed of reciprocation of the lay thereafter to maintain the lay in proper timed relationship with the vertical shifting of the shuttle box during each reciprocal cycle of the lay.

A still further object of the invention is to provide interconnected drive means between the shuttle box changing mechanism and the lay crank to maintain the shifting of the shuttle box and the lay in interconnected timed relationship incident to retardation thereof.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is an end elevation of a loom having the invention applied thereto, parts being in section and parts being broken away,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged rear in the direction of arrow 2, FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 3, FIG. 2, with certain of the parts omitted for the sake of clarity,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of part of the loom as viewed from the center thereof showing one of the two-part crank connectors and the control therefor when the lay is at front center position,

FIG. 5 is a plan view looking in the direction of arrow 5, FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a detailed section on line 66, FIG. 5,

elevation looking FIGS. 7-10 are diagrammatic views illustrating the various positions that the comparatively long upright connectors assume to effect shifting of the shuttle box and shuttles therein with respect to the raceplate of the lay, and

FIG. 11 is a schematicdiagram showing the timing relationship between the shifting of the shuttle box and the flight of a shuttle for one cycle of operation.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, leftand right-hand loomsides 1 and 2 suitably journal thereon, a rock shaft 3 which supports thereon a pair of reciprocatingleft and right layswords 4 and 5. The upper portion of the layswords carries a lay beam 6 the top of which is faced with a raceplate 7 to support a plurality of shuttles 811 during flight thereof across the loom one at a time. The lay beam 6 is operatively connected to a crank or top shaft 14 which is located rearwardly of the lay beam and above bottom shaft 15 which is constantly rotating during loom operation. The two shafts are interconnected by a pair of lower and upper gears 16 and 17 respectively so that the two shafts may be rotated in timed relationship with respect to each other. Gear 17 may be considered as the loom drive gear. Bottom shaft 15 mounts a drive gear 18 for driving relationship With a pair of right and left mutilated pinions 19 and 20, to be further described hereinafter.

Rock shaft 3 supports a bracket 22 to slidingly mount thereon shuttle box rod 23 for reciprocation back and forth with the lay. The upper end of rod 23 supports a multi-cell shuttle box designated generally by reference numeral 24 which is provided with four shuttle cells for the shuttles 8-11 to be picked from and received thereinto during loom operation. It is to be understood that the opposite side of the loom will also have a shuttle box to receive the shuttles one at a time from shuttle box 24. Operatively connected to the lower end of rod 23 as at 26 is a box lifting rod 27 having its upper end as at 28 pivotally connected to a drop box lever 29 which is operatively connected to pinion gear 20. A second intermediate box lifter lever 30 is pivoted to a stand 31 as at 32 and is also pivoted as at 33 to box lifter lever 29 for coaction therewith to selectively raise and lower shuttle box 24. Most of the matter thus far described is of standard location and of usual construction and forms no part of the present invention except as will be pointed out hereinafter.

In carrying out the invention, the pinions 19 and 20 are disposed below the axis 36 of shaft 15, each of the pinions being set angularly around the drive gear 18 so as to be equally and angularly spaced and on opposite sides of a perpendicular plane passing through the axis 36, the plane being represented by dot and dash line P, see particularly FIGS. 1 and 2. Each pinion 19 and 20 is rotatable on a stub shaft respectively 37 and 38 journaled on a support bracket 39 fixed to the stand 31. The drive gear 18 is provided with right and left sets of actuating teeth 40 and 41 which are spaced with respect to each other in a longitudinal direction but which are engageable respectively with pinions 19 and 20, normally out of engagement with gear 18 but operatively connected thereto for rotation in accordance with pattern requirements to effect shifting of the shuttle box. Shaft 37 carries a collar 43, see FIGS. 1 and 2, which is operatively connected to a set of bull teeth 44 normally out of longitudinal alignment with driving segmental gear 18 but shiftable for connection one at a time thereto by pattern requirement to establish operative connection between pinion 19 and drive gear 18. Collar 43 is connected to a forked lever 46 which is pivoted on a cross shaft 47 supported by right and left bearings 48 and 49 respectively. Cross shaft 47, at the rear end thereof carries an upright short lever 50 having its upper end connected as at 51 to a connecting rod 52 the rear end of which is pivoted to a bell crank lever 53, in turn connected by an indicator wire 54 to a pattern mechanism not shown but well understood in the art.

In like manner, pinion 20 is operatively connected to drive gear 18 by a set of bull teeth 56, carried by a collar 57 and is shifted by a second forked lever 58 on a second cross shaft 59. Shaft 59 mounts an upright short lever 60 similar to lever 50 and is connected by a rod 61 to a second bell crank lever 62 which in turn is connected to an indicator wire 63. Wire 63, like wire 54, is operatively connected to the pattern mechanism.

Stub shafts 37 and 38 extend parallel to shaft 15 and at the inner end respectively carry a cam 66 and 67 which engage a cam lever 68, see FIG. 3 to effect rocking of lever 69, rod '70 and lever 71 to cause a bobbin reserve selector on the opposite side of the loom but not shown to be moved to correspond to the particular shuttle being picked across the loom, as is well known in the art. Cam 66 has attached thereto a crank fashion as at 76 a comparatively long connecting lever 77 extending upwardly beyond the axis of shaft 15 and having the upper end thereof connected as at 78 to the previously described intermediate drop box lever 30. In similar fashion, cam 67 has also connected thereto in crank fashion as at 80 a second comparatively long connector lever 81 extending upwardly beyond the axis of shaft 15 and having the upper end thereof connected as at 82 to the drop box lever 29, also previously described. With the exception of the location of the stub shafts 37 and 38, pinions 19 and 20, and the comparatively long levers 77 and 81, much of the material just described is of standard construction and operates in usual fashion. Drive gear 18, pinions 19 and 20 and connector levers 77 and 81 may be considered as an inverted shuttle box changing mechanism operatively connected to the drop box levers.

As is well known, bottom shaft 15 extends across the loom and at the other side is connected by the previously described gears 16 and 17 to crank shaft 14. Rotation of shaft 15 causes rotation of crank shaft 14 through the gears 16 and 17 in such manner that shaft 14 rotates twice for each rotation of shaft 15. This relationship is not essential to the present invention and is only one relationship that can be utilized with the invention. Shaft 14 is provided adjacent each end respectively thereof with a pair of wrists 86 and 87 each of which carries a wrist pin 88 and 89 respectively, see FIG. 5. Wrist pin 88 is operatively connected to the lay by a two-part crank connector between the lay and crank and articulated substantially intermediate its outer ends and generally designated by reference numeral 90. In like manner, wrist pin 89 is also connected to the lay by a two-part crank connector indicated generally by numeral 91. Inasmuch as both connectors are the same, it is deemed only necessary herein to describe one of them, namely, crank connector 90, it being understood that crank connector 91 will operate in the same manner as does crank connector 90.

Wrist pin 88 has trained therearound a split bearing 92 held on the wrist pin by screws 93 and 94 which pass through flanges 95 and 96 of the split bearing, see FIGS. 5 and 6. Upper and lower connecting bolts 98 and 99 respectively are threaded into the split bearing and held thereto by check nuts 101 and 102 respectively. The forward ends of the bolts are connected to a yoke 103 which is provided with a pivot pin 104 passing through the arms 105 and 106 of the yoke. Springs on bolts 98 and 99 may be utilized as desired. Yoke 103 and its bolts 98 and 99 may be considered as one part of the two-part connector. A second yoke 107 is provided with arms 108 and 109 to nestle therebetween arms 105 and 106 respectively and is pivotally connected thereto by the pivot 104. The forward end of yoke 107 is threaded to upper and lower bolts 112 and 113 which extend forwardly to be bolted respectively to a cross head 114 as at 115 and 116. Yoke 107, bolts 112 and 113 and cross head 114 may be considered as the other part of the two-part crank connector. Cross head 114 is pivoted as at to a brace 121 which is held to the lay by screws 122.

Pivot 104 is substantially intermediate the two parts to connect same and mounts a lower rod head 123 which is threaded onto a swing rod 124 extending upwardly to an upper rod head 125 pivoted as at 126 to a stationary stand 127 on the loomside 2, see FIG. 4. The lower end of rod 124 is mounted on pin 104 centrally of said yokes. The rod 124 and the rod heads 123 and 125 are duplicated with respect to crank connector 91, in similar fashion as they are applied to crank connector 90. Crank connectors 90 and 91 are considered as lay retarding means and the connectors and their respective rods 124 may be considered as toggle means and rod 124 considered as control means for the toggle means.

During loom operation, the pattern mechanism, not shown, will indicate either or both of the wires 54 and 63 to cause shifting of either or both sets of bull teeth 44 and 56 to connect segmental gears 40 or 41 to drive gear 18 to selectively move the drop box levers to effect raising or lowering of the shuttle box to place one or another of the shuttles in picking position in time relationship with the lay incident to retardation thereof. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the relationship of the crank pins 76 and 80 is such to place the box lifting levers 29 and 30 in a relative position to maintain shuttle 8 in alignment with the raceplate. As viewed in FIGS. 2 and 8, pinion 15 has been given a half turn to change the relationship between the crank pins 76 and 80 to alter the relationship of the drop box levers to raise the shuttle boxes so that shuttle 9 is now in position to be picked across the loom and, as can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, further turning of pinions 19 and 20 will change the relationship between the drop box levers so that shuttle 10 and shuttle 11 will respectively be at raceplate level. The motions just described are actually common and well known in the trade, as are the structures of the drive gear 18 and the pinion gears 19 and 2.0, and also shaft 15. The particular location herein of the pinions with respect to the axis 36 of shaft as described above presents an advantage whereby the connector levers 77 and 81 can be made comparatively longer than those previously employed without disturbing the standardization of the drive gear 18, its shaft 15 and the drop box levers 29 and 3G. The resultant advantage of lengthening the connector levers is that the vibration or bounce of the shuttle box is considerably reduced when moving between the positions shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, and particularly when there is a so-called skip-jump of the box, for example from that shown in FIG. 9 to that of FIG. 1.

With reference to FIG. 11, which illustrates one cycle of lay operation, FC represents front center position or that position when the lay is extremely forward and TC represents that position when the lay is back midway at which time the toggle means will be unlocking to effect retardation of the lay. BKC represents the position the lay will be at when it is all the way back, the crank connector parts taking some such position as represented by dot and dash lines L and L1 in FIG. 4 and BTC is that position when the lay is midway on its return to PC. From an inspection of FIG. 4, it will be seen that when the lay is at front center, the axes of crank shaft 14, wrist crank 88, pin 104 and the ends of the crank connector are all in the same plane so that the connector is in rigid, coextensive relationship, the axes being out of said plane in opposite relationship when the lay moves between front center positions.

Because virtually all of the bounce is eliminated by the use of the comparatively long connector levers 77 and 81, the time for shifting of the box in a pick cycle can be reduced to operate between points A and B in the direction of arrow C so that shuttle flight time can be increased in the direction of arrow D between points B and A as opposed to previous practice where shifting of the box occurred approximately between points BTC and TC in the direction of arrow C and where shuttle flight occurred approximately between TC and BTC in the direction of arrow D. Stated briefly another Way, because shuttle bounce is eliminated, less time for box shifting can be allotted in the cycle and more time allotted for shuttle flight with the result that the lay can be retarded during an increase in loom speed without proportional increase in shuttle velocity by providing more time for shuttle flight across the loom. The lay, during its reciprocation back and forth, will be retarded by virtue of swinging rod 124 which, via pin 104, controls unlocking of the toggle means to permit connectors and 91 to assume the position shown schematically by lines L and L1, FIG. 4, during shuttle flight.

When the speed of the loom is increased, gears 16 and 17 rotate faster but the time relationship between shafts 14 and 15 and the retardation of the lay is such that an increase in loom speed does not necessitate an increase in the velocity of the shuttle because of the more time allotted to shuttle flight as discussed above.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the invention provides simple means whereby the combination of an inverted shuttle box mechanism and retardation of the lay permits an increase in weaving speeds of looms without a proportional increase in shuttle velocity. Also, it will be seen that simple means have been provided in the form of comparatively long levers and toggle means to respectively produce an inverted shuttle box mechanism and said retardation of the lay. Further, simple interconnected drive means, gears 16 and 17, has been provided between the box mechanism and the lay to maintain the combination in timed relationship.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. In a loom operating with a plurality of shuttles and with a multi-cell shuttle box therefor vertically shiftable by a pair of coacting dropbox levers, including an intermediate lever operatively connected to said box and also operating with a lay reciprocated by a crank and driven thereby through front, top, back, bottom and back to front center positions during loom operation, the combination of (a) lay retarding means including control means between the crank of the lay and a stationary part of the loom to induce retardation of the lay during shuttle flight thereacross,

(b) an inverted shuttle box changing mechanism operatively connected to said drop box levers to selectively move the latter to cause shifting of said shuttle box in interconnected time relationship with the lay to place one or another of said shuttles in picking position with respect to said lay incident to retardation thereof,

(0) whereby said combination permits increased loom speeds without a proportional increase in shuttle velocity,

(d) toggle means forming part of said control means between the crank and the lay comprising a crank connector including two parts, one end of the connector pivotally mounted on the crank and the other end thereof pivotally mounted on the lay,

(e) a pivot pin substantially intermediate and pivotally connecting said two parts to form said crank connector,

(f) an upright swing rod forming part of said toggle means and having its lower end pivotally mounted on said pin and its upper end pivotally connected to a stationary part of the loom,

(g) said toggle means being in a substantially locked position when the lay is at front center position and unlocked when the lay is at top and bottom center positions by reason of said swing rod, said two parts of said connector each including a yoke, the yoke on said one of said parts having a pair of bolts extending rearwardly therefrom and held to a bearing on the crank, and the yoke on said other of said parts '2 having a pair of bolts extending forwardly therefrom for operative connection to the lay,

(it) one of said yokes being nestled within the other and said yokes being articulated to each other by said pin, a

(i) said swing rod having the lower end thereof pivotally connected to said pin centrally of said yokes.

2. In a loom operating with a plurality of shuttles and with a multi-cell shuttle box therefor vertically shiftable by apair of coacting drop box levers and an intermediate lever operatively connected to said shuttle box and also operating with a lay reciprocated by a crank and driven thereby through front, top, back, bottom and back to front center positions during loom operation, the combination of (a) lay retarding means including control means between the crank of the lay and a stationary part of the loom to induce retardation of the lay during shuttle flight thereacross,

(b) a shuttle box changing mechanism operatively connected to said drop box levers to selectively move the latter to cause shifting of said shuttle box in interconnected time relationship with the lay to place one or another of said shuttles in picking position with respect to said lay incident to retardation thereof,

(c) whereby said combination permits increased loom speeds without a proportional increase in shuttle velocity,

(d) toggle means forming part of said control means between the crank and the lay comprising a crank connector including two parts, one end of the connector pivotally mounted on the crank and the other end thereof pivotally mounted on the lay,

(e) a pivot pin substantially intermediate and pivotally connecting said two parts to form said crank connector,

(f) an upright swing rod forming part of said toggle means and having one end pivotally mounted on said pin and its other end pivotally connected to a stationary part of the loom,

(g) said toggle means being in substantially locked position when the lay is at front center position, and partially unlocked when the lay is at top and bot tom center positions by reason of said swing rod, said two parts of said connector each including a yoke, the yoke on said one of said parts having a pair of bolts extending rearwardly therefrom passing through a bearing on the crank, and the yoke on said parts having a pair of bolts extending forwardly therefrom for operative connection to the lay,

(11) one of said yokes being nestled within the other and said yokes being articulated to each other by said p (i) said rod having one end thereof pivotally connected to said pin centrally of said yokes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 590,383 Bardsley Sept. 21, 1897 914,738 Marco Mar. 9, 1909 949,355 Gordon Feb. 15, 1910 1,760,950 Lundgren June 3, 1930 1,970,832 Baker Aug. 21, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 169,322 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1934 

1. IN A LOOM OPERATING WITH A PLURALITY OF SHUTTLES AND WITH A MULTI-CELL SHUTTLE BOX THEREFOR VERTICALLY SHIFTABLE BY A PAIR OF COACTING DROP BOX LEVERS, INCLUDING AN INTERMEDIATE LEVER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID BOX AND ALSO OPERATING WITH A LAY RECIPROCATED BY A CRANK AND DRIVEN THEREBY THROUGH FRONT, TOP, BACK, BOTTOM AND BACK TO FRONT CENTER POSITIONS DURING LOOM OPERATION, THE COMBINATION OF (A) LAY RETARDING MEANS INCLUDING CONTROL MEANS BETWEEN THE CRANK OF THE LAY AND A STATIONARY PART OF THE LOOM TO INDUCE RETARDATION OF THE LAY DURING SHUTTLE FLIGHT THEREACROSS, (B) AN INVERTED SHUTTLE BOX CHANGING MECHANISM OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DROP BOX LEVERS TO SELECTIVELY MOVE THE LATTER TO CAUSE SHIFTING OF SAID SHUTTLE BOX IN INTERCONNECTED TIME RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LAY TO PLACE ONE OR ANOTHER OF SAID SHUTTLES IN PICKING POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID LAY INCIDENT TO RETARDATION THEREOF, (C) WHEREBY SAID COMBINATION PERMITS INCREASED LOOM SPEEDS WITHOUT A PROPORTIONAL INCREASE IN SHUTTLE VELOCITY, (D) TOGGLE MEANS FORMING PART OF SAID CONTROL MEANS BETWEEN THE CRANK AND THE LAY COMPRISING A CRANK CONNECTOR INCLUDING TWO PARTS, ONE END OF THE CONNECTOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE CRANK AND THE OTHER END THEREOF PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE LAY, 